Othello Review

By Sean Frame

Korda Artistic Productions and Director Dean Valentino had their opening night on Sept. 13 for Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. I was given the opportunity to see this play and would recommend it to an audience who doesn’t frequent live theatre.

Tim Clark portrays Othello, a general in the Venetian army who is well loved by his peers. The tale of Othello is a one of racism, jealousy and war. Othello falls in love and elopes with a Venetian girl of great beauty, Desdemona. She is the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio who disowns her after learning about the affair. The story of jealousy and deceit is set in motion by “honest” Iago, Othello’s junior officer who despises the general for “stealing” his rank.

Kristen Lamoure-Dias plays the loyal Desdemona with great delicacy, adding to the belief that Othello would do drastic things for her. When the actress sings the “Willow Song”, a song her mother frequently sang to Desdmona as a child before passing, there is a sense of sadness in her stunning tone. Eric Smith plays various small roles throughout the play and does an excellent job of distinguishing between the roles. Amongst the cast was Joey Wright (Roderigo) stood out, catching my attention in most of the scenes and outshining most of the cast with his performance.

Director Dean Valentino plays Iago well enough but I felt he was lacking emotion and didn’t seem menacing enough for his role. He only shows his characters true colours when the other characters backs are turned, snickering and sneering at the audience. Valentino goes back and forth between “honest” Iago, well respected by all, then back to the mastermind behind his own villainous plot to make “The Moor” Othello fall into a jealous rage.

The costuming was all black modern-day clothing that leaves a lot to the imagination yet does not add to the imagery of the play. The props were lacking and most of the swords looked as if they were purchased from a dollar store. The cast of Othello does a good job using what space they have, using a balcony to set the scene on the small stage. In one scene Tim Clark (Othello) is on the balcony spying on Iago, adding tension to the scene. The area around the audience is also used adding to the magic of their play, drawing the audience in and erasing barriers.

After a brief intermission the cast and crew began Act Two of the play. The second act had a darker atmosphere than the first and this was very evident in the story. I felt the lighting structure didn’t really add to the atmosphere. Only in the final scene, with a single light on centre stage, did I feel it was used well.

As Iago’s plan is set in motion, using Desdemona’s handkerchief to pit Othello against his second in command instilling jealousy into Othello’s mind. This act of mischief leads him to expect his Venetian wife has been cheating on him with Cassio.

In the final scene in the play Tim Clark displays rage and a certain sadness with utter ease making one feel for his situation, yet the rest of his acting lacked very basic emotions. Despite the props and set they drew the audience in and used their acting skills to create the story’s atmosphere.

The show continues from September 18th to the 20th at 8 p.m., Tickets are $10 for seniors and students and $15 for regular admission at Kordazone Theatre on 2520 Seminole St.

2.5/5 Stars.